Intel RST/RSTe Drivers (latest: v20.1.0.1015/ v9.0.0.1836)



Ok sorry to keep bugging ya just want a little clarification. Earlier you stated drivers v11.7.4.1001 best matched Roms v11.6.0.1702. but wouldn’t driver v11.6.0.1030 better match ROM v11.6.0.1702?

-Note driver v11.6.0.1030 Release date is 2/28/2013 with a Status assigned as <Latest> by Intel when newer drivers from 11.7xxxxx-14.0.xxxx are assigned a status of <Previously released>

Pertaining to RST software, after i fixed my BSOD’s and running the software my benchmarks dropped significantly compared to same drivers running without RST. With that said i Ran Raid verifcation overnight with zero errors found, Then ran Benchmarks again, Now im getting the Best Bench numbers I have had through this entire process. So Does It take awhile for the RST software to sort through the HD’s so that it Allocates data better after the initial install? I think i experienced something similar when i first setup my raid years ago.

The Intel RAID ROM v11.6.0.1702 matches all Intel RST(e) drivers, which belong to the v11.6 and v11.7 development branch.

You should not believe everything, what Intel has written within its Download Center.

you kinda avoided my last question about the RST software.

rom vs driver, in most all your bench runs it seemed to me you tried to find rom/driver as close you possibly could.

13.0d to a 13.0 rom
13.1d to a 13.1 rom
13.2d to a 13.2 rom
13.5d to a 13.5 rom

You let it stray a tick on a few drivers but from what i could tell you tried to keep the roms as close as possible to the majority of tested driver.


that’s basically why i asked.

I use the Intel RST Software just for a moment to enable the Write-Back Caching feature and then uninstall it.

Yes, but Intel has developed their Intel RAID drivers of the v11.7 series by using the Intel RAID ROM v11.6.0.1702. Intel has never released a separate Intel RAID ROM for the Intel RST drivers v11.7.x.xxxx.

I use the Intel RST Software just for a moment to enable the Write-Back Caching feature and then uninstall it.

Yes, but Intel has developed their Intel RAID drivers of the v11.7 series by using the Intel RAID ROM v11.6.0.1702. Intel has never released a separate Intel RAID ROM for the Intel RST drivers v11.7.x.xxxx.




Write-Back Caching feature? Can you make a screenshot? Never saw that or what do mean?

Look into the start post of >this< thread. Within point no 9 you will find the requested screenshot.

First I want to say thank you! You made my day earlier. Ive been messing around with my two 500GB Samsung EVO 850s in a Raid 0 array (Windows write cache buffer off and Write back cache mode enabled) with for a couple days now and I could not solve the issue. Anywhere from 1-10 minutes after bootup my Raid 0 drive would shoot up to 100% usage and stay there forcing me to reboot only to have it happen again. This only happened when Windows write cache buffer was disabled and Write back cache mode was enabled as soon as I’d set it back to default OS settings (Windows 8.1, Freshly installed) the issue was gone.
Came across your site looking for an answer and I noticed you had a newer driver than the official Intel site (Intel RST(e) Drivers & Software Set v14.6.0.1029 WHQL dated 08/04/2015) figured what the heck if Raid 0’s gonna give me this much issue I’ll just take a chance, cuz I’m gonna have to reformat anyways to remove my Raid 0 configuration. Luckily it solved all my problems (that I can tell so far).
You recommend flashing my motherboard bios with the “Intel RST(e) RAID ROM v14.5.0.2241 ROM” however you also state: " I do not offer here any “Universally TRIM modified” variant of the Intel RAID ROM modules v14.x.x.xxxx, because older (up to 7-Series) Intel Chipset RAID systems are not fully supported by the Intel RST(e) drivers of the v14 line." From what it sounds like to me, if i flash my bios with this ROM, ill lose trim support in my RAID array, correct??

I’m on an Asus X-99 Deluxe motherboard with an i7-5820K and 2x 500GB Samsung 850 EVOs in RAID 0. Ive used Trimchecker and it currently states that TRIM is working for my setup (Asus also states this motherboard supports TRIM in Raid 0). My question is then, is it even worth it to risk flashing this ROM?? Because to me from how I am interpreting it, I’ll lose TRIM support and I’m not sure if ill gain any performance HD wise.

@ Suynee:
Welcome at Win-RAID Forum!

No, you X99 system doesn’t need “TRIM in RAID0 modded” Intel RAID ROM/EFI RaidDriver modules. All Intel Chipset RAID0 systems from 7-Series up natively have TRIM in RAID0 support (provided, that there is any original Intel RAID ROM/EFI RaidDriver from v11.x.x.xxxx up within the BIOS).

Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)

Greetings Fernando,
Thank you for devoting your time and brain power to this endeavour, it is greatly appreciated. I’m wondering if you would give your opinion on a problem I am having with installing the Intel RST(e) AHCI/RAID Drivers & Software Set v11.7.4.1001 WHQL from your first page post (not the modified drivers). I have a Supermicro X7DBI+ motherboard that utilizes the Intel 5000 Series Chipset with the Intel Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v5.6.4.1002 ESB2. I want to install the Intel Control Center so I can set up email alerts for when a hard drive dies (I have them in RAID 1). I was able to install the 64bit Intel RST(e) AHCI/RAID Drivers v11.7.4.1001 WHQL driver through Device Manager, but when I try to install the setup.exe (running as Administrator), I get the following message, “this computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software”.
From my searching online, the only thing I could find that would explain this is if the BIOS was not set to AHCI or RAID, but in my case it is; the RAID 1 array has been created and Windows 2008 R2 installed on it without the need for a driver. I am wondering if you know of a way to get around this error message or something else that could explain why it is occurring OR, could tell me how to install the Intel Control Center manually since there is an application folder with what seems like all the requisite .exe’s and .dll’s.
I also need this because Windows Update doesn’t work properly (it’s just stuck in an endless loop and never comes back with updates, and it has never run, this is a fresh new install), and from what I can tell searching for this problem, it is because Intel RST isn’t installed and needs to be. If you have any other suggestions they are all greatly appreciated, thank you.

Zitat von STR866 im Beitrag #930

Hello,
Just in case that post was directed at me, I did not have Intel RST Software running before, all I did was install the driver through Device Manager AFTER trying to install the .exe. Also, .net framework 3.5 has been installed. Finally this version of Intel RST does not have those filenames, only a setup.exe. I did actually read those instructions before doing anything.

Fernando, I am aware of your threads on modifying the option ROM of a BIOS (this motherboard uses Phoenix), do you think doing that would increase my chances of success? Thanks.

@ rival:
Welcome at Win-RAID Forum!

The version and the development platform of the Intel MSM RAID ROM module, which is within your mainboard BIOS, doesn’t match at all the Intel RST(e) driver and software you are trying to use.
Before I am going to give you any advice how you can try to solve your problem, I need the following informations:
1. Which DeviceID has the Intel SATA RAID Controller of your mainboard (right click onto it > “Properties” > “Details” > “Property” > “HardwareIDs”)?
2. Which OS are you running?

Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)

  1. When I right-click on the entry for “Intel(R) Desktop/Workstation/Server Express Chipset SATA RAID Controller” under Storage Controllers, go to Properties, click on the Details tab, and then select “Hardware IDs” I see:
    PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2682&SUBSYS_B18115D9&REV_09
    PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2682&SUBSYS_B18115D9
    PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2682&CC_010400
    PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2682&CC_0104
    2. I’m running Windows 2008 R2

    I tried to install that driver because I interpreted the line under the entries as this version supporting 5-series chipsets (which it apparently does, the .sys driver at least), because ICH9M is older than the 5-series: “Latest/best RST(e) drivers of the v11 line:
    >32bit Intel RST(e) AHCI/RAID Drivers v11.7.4.1001 WHQL< (>MIRROR<)
    >64bit Intel RST(e) AHCI/RAID Drivers v11.7.4.1001 WHQL< (>MIRROR<)
    >Intel RST(e) AHCI/RAID Drivers & Software Set v11.7.4.1001 WHQL< (>MIRROR<)
    Note: These drivers are dated 03/05/2013 and suitable for AHCI systems from ICH9M up to 7-Series Chipsets and for RAID systems from ICH8R/M up except X79 running in RSTe RAID mode (DEV_2826).”

    P.S. Windows Updates are now working, but I really do need the Control Center for email alerts and overall status of the RAID array. Thanks again.

@ rival:

Thanks for having answered my questions.
The DeviceID DEV_2682 of your on-board Intel SATA AHCI Cotroller verifies,
a) that your system has an old Intel ESB2 and not a much newer Intel ICH9M Southbridge and
b) that you have installed a driver, which doesn’t fully support the Intel SATA RAID Controller of your system.

The latest Intel RAID Driver & Software Set, which natively will support your system, is the Intel MSM Set v8.9.8.1005 WHQL.
>Here< is the link to that Intel MSM Drivers & Software Set v8.9.8.1005 WHQL.

Good luck!

Thank you very much for providing me with the Control Center version of this driver version, it is much appreciated. I have two further questions:
1. Since the driver itself for 11.7.4.1001 works (iaStorAC.inf and applicable files) - when I right click on Intel desktop/Workstation/Server Express Chipset SATA RAID Controller Windows tells me that “this device is working properly” - would it be a good idea for me to reinstall just the driver after installing the MSM Control Center and driver? Especially since using this 11.7.4.1001 driver makes the computer faster than using the original driver that Microsoft installed? Is this not the reason why you created those modified drivers that you added extra hardware signatures for (which I didn’t need to use btw, Intel apparently added my hardware signature itself)?

2. Knowing what you know now about this motherboard, would it be possible and recommended to mod the BIOS by updating the option ROM with one of your Intel MSM RAID ROMs? I read your guide and it says it is not a big deal if you flash it wrong, you just can’t use the RAID until you reflash the original BIOS, so I’m willing to take the risk. Also, I was a little unclear as to whether you had ever seen a MSM ROM replaced with an Intel RST ROM? Is this possible? So far I’ve run “cbrom32_198.exe x7dbi1.rom /D” in a command prompt, went to work, and came back hours later to see the program using 100% of one of my cores and not seeing any output besides "cbrom 1.98 [08/27/08] (C) Phoenix Technologies 2001-2008. FYI, the last version of BIOS for my board is from 2011 so I don’t think it’s SOOO old…

Thanks again for your time and thoughts.

EDIT by Fernando: Unneeded fully quoted text removed (to save space)

No, that would not be a good idea.
You got the Intel RST(e) driver working by forcing the installation and simulating to have a DEV_2822 Intel SATA Controller, but you haven’t.
Futhermore the RAID driver and the Intel Console Software have to belong to the same development string and should have the same version.
My advice: install the complete Intel MSM v8.9.8.1005 Drivers & Software Set. Then you will get bozj parts (driver and software) installed.

No, all Intel RAID ROM versions from v8.x.x.xxxx up, which I am offering, do only support modern DEV_2822 Intel RAID Controllers, but not an old DEV_2682 Intel MSM ESB2 SATA RAID Controller like yours. Not a single Intel RST RAID ROM will properly work with your system.

hello, thank you for your work for starters :slight_smile:


i am on windows 10 pro x64 and my motherboard is https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P5QD_Turbo/ (limited to sata 2) and my ssd is samsung 840 pro 128gb

i run some tests using different "drivers"

1st is microsoft stock

ms.PNG

ms1.PNG

ms2.PNG

ms3.PNG



2nd intel chipset ones (not rst) (link here cause i dont remember where i found it, its the latest for my old motherboard! https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz9-ok…NTE1LXgtNDZJNk0 )

chipset.PNG

chipset1.PNG

chipset2.PNG

chipset3.PNG



3rd its with "Intel RST drivers v11.2.0.1006 WHQL dated 05/30/2012"

rst.PNG

rst1.PNG

rst2.PNG

rst3.PNG



(and one more after one extra restart)

rst extra.PNG




after looking at these what is your opinion? also i see that 4k-64thrd on the ms and intel drivers (not rst) is going "crazy" except one time… but on the RST drivers not…
should i update to the newer "Intel RST(e) v11.7.4.1001 WHQL" on my system? will it perform better or the same like the 11.2? or just behave "better" in general? (note that i DONT want to use the rapid storage program that starts with windows if possible).

ps. the non as ssd ones are from the samsung magician performance test

@ iakoboss7:
Welcome at Win-RAID Forum and thanks for the benchmark results.

The results are not bad.

No, your Intel SATA AHCI Controller has used the exact same driver as above (the generic MS AHCI driver). This explains, why you got rather similar benchmark scores.
By the way: You can see the driver name “storahci.sys” within the AS_SSD GUI.

The previous results, when you ran the MS AHCI driver named STORAHCI.SYS, were better.

I cannot answer these questions. You have to find out yourself, which is the “best” AHCI driver for your special system. Furthermore you should consider, that the benchmark results are not the only criterion, if a user is searching for the “best” driver for his special system. The stability of the system is very important too.

Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)

can you maybe explain to me why the WRITE 4k-64thrd gets that crazy number that goes above sata 2 specs? and why this doesnt happen with the 11.2?

from windows 10 perspective (not hardware) what do you think will be a better match? 11.2 or 11.7.4

thank you.

According to my own experience the generic MS AHCI driver is (sometimes) very performant, but not very stable. Furthermore you should consider, that the benchmark results are not always realistic.

I don’t know, which one of them will be the better AHCI driver for your ICH10R Southbridge system.